Freshman says new members better at compromise than Obama, congressional leaders

"I sense that there's a lot of willingness for bipartisan cooperation," he said of new members. "I don't sense as much from the leadership of both parties; that's what disappoints me a bit."

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Davis said the late 1990s, when Republicans and Democrats worked together and helped balance the budget, serves as an example of what can happen when cooperation exists, and said newer members can help make it happen again.

"I think it can happen, and if they allow us to lead this charge, I think it will happen," he said. When asked who "us" is, Davis said it is "those that were elected, those who are willing to sit down and find a common solution like a balanced budget agreement in 1997."

Davis later clarified that he is not setting the stage for a coup against House leaders, and that his goal is to help educate the leadership on the need for compromise.

"I'm not saying that, you know, a group of us is standing ready to take on leadership," he said. "It's helping to educate leadership that it's not just about gaining partisan political advantage on all these issues."

He said Obama's reaction to the Senate's immigration reform plan shows that the president also has no interest in compromise.

"We have a bipartisan plan out on on immigration just a few days ago, and then the president flies to Nevada and basically says, 'give me everything I want or I'm going to do it by executive order,' " he said.

"How does that affect the ability of Congress to do its job and actually pass that comprehensive immigration plan that he says he wants, but then stands up and says, 'I'm going to throw a temper tantrum if I don't get everything I want?' "

Davis said he believes Obama is mostly working to demonize the GOP leadership in order to put the House back into the control of Democrats.

"I'm getting disappointed daily by the fact that I believe the president has one goal ... which is to win back the House in 2014, so that he has the ability to control the agenda with Democrats controlling all branches of government, and pass some major agenda items," he said.

"If that's the case, if that's where he's going, then what you're going to see over the next years is a lot of partisan rancor."

Davis was then asked how Obama's purported goal is different from the Republican goal of controlling the Senate and White House. In reply, Davis said Republicans are making more of an effort to move legislation, despite the partisan fighting.

"From what I've seen from our leadership is ... they want to govern," he said. "It's not just about partisan politics."